Metal container



June 23, 1931.

C. J. AULBACH METAL CONTAINER Filed March 22. 1929 25 Fig.

Patented June 23, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFF'ICE CHARLES J. AULBACH,

COMPANY, INC., 011 NEW YORK,

METAL CONTAIN EB Application filed March 22, 1929. Serial No. 849,064.

The invention relates ,to new and useful improvements in metal containers and more particularly to"a metal container which is capable of being tightly sealed and which can be readily opened.

In the application filed by Charles J. Aulbach and Ernest D. Anderson, January 19, 1929, Serial Number 333,656, there isshown and described such a container wherein the cover flange is provided with a rip strip at the lower portion thereof containing holding lugs which spring beneath a locking shoulder on the container body for holding the cover on the container body.

An object of the present invention is to provide a container of this type with means whereby the lugs may be positively seated beneath the shoulder and the cover firmly locked to the container body.

In the drawings Fig. 1 is a View partly in side elevation and partly in section showing a container embodying the improvements with the cover separated from the container body.

2 is a similar view showing the cover placed on the container body and locked thereto.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view through a portion of the container showing the cover in place before the holding lugs are seated.

Fig. 4: is a view showing the cover in place and the holding lugs posltively seated by a closing tool which is shown in full lines as retracted and in dotted lines as in position for seating the lugs.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view on the line 5-5 of Fig. 1.

The invention is directed to a metal con tainer which is capable of being tightly sealed and which is at the same time easy to open. The container body is preferably formed with a rolled edge at its open end and with an inwardly projecting bead parallel with the open end and spaced therefrom. This inwardly projecting head is constructed so that the upper wall thereof lies in a line which approaches a position perpendicular to the wall of the container. 50 The cover is provided with a central depression forming a channel for a sealing material which is adapted to be pressed against the end of the container body when the cover is applied. The cover has a depending flange extending over the container body and said flange is preferably proportioned so as to have a comparatively snug sliding fit with the outer wall of the container body. Said flange is provided midwayits height with a score line which is parallel with the lower edge of the flange and forms from said lower edge portion a rip strip. The score line extends across the rip strip and the flange is extended to form a tearing tongue. The cover flange is provided with a series of holding lugs located adjacent the score line in the rip strip. These lugs are formed by indenting the metal and the metal at the upper end of the lug. which is at the score line is broken through so that the upper end of the lug there is a raw edge of metal. Associated with each holding lug in a seating projection. The lugs project slightly within the inner face of the flange and the seating projections extend slightly outside of the outer face of the flange. When the cover is forced into sealing engagement with the container body the lugs will engage he shoulder formed by the upper wall in the bead and the cover will thus be positively locked to the container body. There is a certain spring of the metal which will cause these lugs to grip the shoulder.

After the cover is well seated then it is that a cylindrical closing tool is assed down over the edge of the cover an cam faces on said tool contact with the seating projections associated with the lugs and this forces the lugs into firmer grippmg contact with the shoulder on the container body.

Referring more in detail to the drawings, the improved container includes a body portion 1, the upper edge of which is rolled into a hollow bead 2. Formed in the body portion at a distance below the" bead 2 and par- 95 allel therewith is an inwardly projecting bead 3 The upper wall 4 of this bead lies in a line which approaches a perpendicular at the outer wall of the container body. The cover 5 has a depressed portion 6 forming 9.

'lVhen this seating tool is forced down be substantially channel 7 in which a sealing material 8 is placed. The cover has a depending flange 9 which is substantially cylindrical and so proportioned as to fit closely at the outer face of the container body. When the cover is placed on the container body, the channel in the cover receives the head 2 on the container body and the sealing material will be pressed against said bead and form a tight seal between the cover and the container body.

The flange 9 of the cover is provided with a score line 10. This score line is midway between the upper and lower edges of the flange and parallel with the lower edge of the flange. The score line at 11 extends across the lower portion of the flange and the flange at this score line 11 is provided with a projecting tearing tongue 12. A key placed on this tearing tongue can be used to readily roll the rip strip 13 formed by the score line 10 so that the lower portion of the cover can be readily removed by tearing the same from the upper portion of the cover flange.

The cover flange is provided with a series of pairs of holding lugs 14 and 15. These are formed by punching the same from the metal of the flange and the metal is so placed that in the forming of the lug it is torn through at the score line, thus providing a raw edge of metal 16 at the upper end of the lugs. Between the lugs 14 and 15 is a seating projection 17.

When the cover is placed on the container body the lugs will yield as they pass down over the outer face of the container body and will spring into the recess formed by the bead 3. The upper end of the lugs will engage the inclined wall 4 of the bead 3. As the cover is pressed more firmly onto its seat the lug keeps gripping further down on the inclined Wall and will hold the cover set in the extreme position to which it is forced. This insures a very tight sealing of the cover to the container body. After the cover has been seated and sealed to the container body a lug seating tool is then applied thereto. This lug seating tool is in the form of a cylindrical bod portion 18, the inner wall 19 of which is of diameter of the outer wall of the flange 9.

he seating tool has an inclined cam face 20.

over the cover the cam face 20 engages the seating projection 17 and will force the lugs 14 and 15 positively inwardly down the inclined wall 4 thus not only firmly seating the cover but positively gripping and holding the cover seated on the container body. The tool is then withdrawn. The projection 17 may flush with the outer face of the flange of the cover before the cover is assembled but the lugs project inwardly from the inner face of the flange. When substantially the the cover is forced down onto the container body the lugs will, of course, yield until the recess formed by the head 3 is reached when they will spring back into gripping contact with the shoulder 4. The seating tool will force the seating projections back into their normal flush position and in so doing force the lugs into a firmer gripping contact with the shoulder 4.

From the above it will be apparent that the cover can be firmly seated and held to the container body simply by pressing the cover onto the container body and to whatever extent it is pressed into sealing engagement with the container body it will be held or retained. 'When the cover is released from pressure, there will be no spring back as it is locked firmly in sealed position and retained there under continuous pressure. When the seating tool is applied to the projections associated with the holding lugs the holding lugs will be forced into a firmer gripping contact'with the shoulder, drawing the cover into even a firmer sealing contact with the container loody.

As shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings, the seating projections 17 project beyond the outer face of the flange and it is these projections that are engaged by the seating tool and by the aid of which the lu 's are positively forced into engagement with the wall 4. The locking lugs, therefore, are brought into gripping engagement with the container body for locking the cover on the container body not through their spring action alone but through the positive movement imparted thereto by the seating projections.

-While I have shown the holding lugs as formed in a-portion of the flange which may be removed, it will be understood that from certain aspects of the invention these holding lugs may be otherwise placed in the flange of the cover and the container opened by other means.

It is obvious that minor changes in the details of construction and the arrangement of the'parts may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A metal container comprising a body portion having an annular shoulder arallel with the open end, a cover having a epending flange adapted to extend down over the body portion and provided with a score line substantially midway of the height of the flange forming a rip strip at the lower edge portion of the flange, a sealing material between the cover and the body portion, said rip strip being provided wlth spaced inwardly extending lugs adapted to engage said shoulder for securing the cover to the body, and outwardly extending seating projections associated with said lugs whereby said lugs may be simultaneously forced into positive gripping engagement with said shoulder.

2. A metal container comprising a body portion having an annular shoulder parallel with the open end, a cover having a depending flange adapted to extend down over the body portion and provided with a score line substantially midway of the height of the flange forming a rip strip at the lower edge portion of the flange, a sealing material between the cover and the body portion, said rip strip being provided with spaced pairs of inwardly extending locking lugs adapted to engage said shoulder, each pair of lugs having associated therewith an outwardly extending seating projection whereby said lugs may be simultaneously forced into posigive gripping engagement with said shoul- 3. A metal container comprising a bod portion having an annular shoulder parallel with the opening and a cover having a depending flange adapted to extend down over the body portion, a sealing material between the cover and the body portion, said flange being provided with spaced inwardly extending lugs adapted to engage said shoulder, each lug having associated therewith an outwardly extending seating projection whereby said lugs may be simultaneously forced into positive gripping engagement with the shoulder.

In testimony whereof, I aflix my signature.

CHARLES J. AULBAC-H. 

